Mets cap off massive free agency spree by landing prized outfielder

The New York Mets missed early in free agency but when on a Black Friday shopping spree capped off by scoring the best centerfielder on the market.

Early in free agency this offseason, the New York Mets were being mocked as Steve Cohen was extremely salty and the franchise seemingly kept whiffing on potential targets as guys like Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and others signed with teams not residing in the Big Apple. On Black Friday, though, the club turned the narrative quickly.

They started their spending spree by signing utility infielder and quality bat Eduardo Escobar to a solid contract. Next up, they landed veteran Mark Canha, a player with extreme positional versatility and a high on-base percentage.

The Mets, however, saved the best for last. Late on Friday night, New York agreed to a four-year, $78 million contract with centerfielder Starling Marte, as reported by MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.

Mets sign Starling Marte to cap off Black Friday spending spree

Fittingly on Black Friday, the Mets spent a whopping $124.5 million in free agency the day after Thanksgiving. For a team that was the butt of jokes for a minute, New York aggressively changed that perception with their moves.

And clearly, Cohen and his cohorts aren’t done working either.

In the wake of the Escobar deal as he’s played second base in his career, all reporters were clear to acknowledge that didn’t preclude New York from re-signing Javier Baez, who the team continues to target.

All told, you have to like the moves for the Mets. Marte was the best centerfielder on the market and gives New York a big two-way asset. Meanwhile, they added more offense in addition to defensive versatility with Escobar and Canha. Throw in the fact that they aren’t done yet and their offseason is definitely turning around.